Jane's a real purl for knitting charity blanket

AFTER having two heart attacks and losing her niece in a tragic accident, Jane Young has knitted a blanket for charity, with help from around the world.

The blanket, which measures 6ft by 8ft, has been put together by Jane, 64, after she made a Facebook plea asking for ideas on what she should knit.

Soon after the blanket was suggested, Jane began receiving knitted squares at her Rylands Way address in Royal Wootton Bassett, which had come from as far afield as Azerbaijan.

The retired accountant began knitting on May 3, almost a year to the day after her niece Victoria Stockman was found unconscious in her Redcliffe Street flat following to a fire. Victoria, 33, was transferred to the Welsh Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery at Morriston Hospital in Swansea, where she lost her battle for life on May 9, 2013.

Jane has created a raffle for the blanket, which she completed at the end of July, and will donate all money raised to Help for Heroes.

“I think I will call it Victoria’s Blanket,” she said. “Last year I had two heart attacks, which required major surgery and I wanted to do something this year.

“I have got quite a few things wrong with me which has meant a lot of doctors have told me there are things I can’t do, but I know this is something I can do.”

The blanket is on show at Emma Rose Furnish-ings in Boroughfields, Royal Wootton Bassett, where it has pride of place in the front window, draped across a bed.

Contributions to the raffle have topped £400 so far, with hopes for at least another £100 more before the winning ticket is drawn by Sue Hughes, mayor of Royal Wootton Bassett, on September 3.

Jane said she hated knitting to begin with, but after her mother gave up her wool shop in Trow-bridge, she was left with so much wool she had no choice but to take up knitting to use it up.

“I was on Facebook talking to somebody else doing a blanket and she said ‘I will knit you a square’ and somebody else said they would do a square too,” said Jane.

“I have had so many parcels from all over the world. The postman was wondering if I was getting drugs from all these places as they arrived at my house.

“There’s not much money around at the moment and a lot of people are turning to making things.

“The thing with knitting and crocheting is once you start you can’t stop. It’s like a hobby you can’t put down. You just want to keep improving.”

For more information on the blanket or how to buy a raffle ticket, contact Jane at janeyoung2@hotmail.co.uk

Ipsoregulated

This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's Editors' Code of Practice. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then please contact the editor here. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can contact IPSO here